It is rare in life to get a second chance. We didn't get to discuss Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter as planned last month, so we will do so tonight. Several regular members have also seen the film adaptation, so we will talk about the transfer of the novel to film, as well as talking about the author, mash-ups, the novel, and this polarizing historical period.
About the book:
Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."
"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.
Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.
When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.
While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.
Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.
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Book Trailer
Questions from Word of the Nerd
History Questions
Did you do any fact-checking while reading this book? If so, what for and what did you find?
Did you learn anything from Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter?
For the history buffs out there, do you think this book serves as a good “hook” to history for those who might have previously been uninterested?
Literature and Character Questions
What do you think of the idea of vampirism used as a metaphor for slavery, in general?
Do you think the “Abe” in Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter rang true of the 19th century Abraham Lincoln president and orator?
What are your opinions about the Henry Sturges character and his role throughout the novel?
What are your opinions about “mashup” books such as this? Have you read them before? Will you read them again?
General Questions
Did the novel turn out the way you expected it to?
Did you like the book and will you (or have you already) recommend it to others?
What scene/section of the novel stands out most to you?
What rating would you give the novel Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter from 1 to 5 nerd stars?
Did you also see the film adaptation? Let's talk about that.
Film Trailer
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